Changes
by Neko-Salosa
Summary: Completly random ficlet. No one's names are mentioned so find out who they are on your own. Just some musings etc. Read and review. (Ryoma x Momo if you care to look at it that way.)


The freshman aimlessly wandered the halls, not really paying attention to where he was going. His thoughts were just as aimless as his steps, really only one thought was going through his head, and that was tennis. Of course tennis was really never far from his thoughts. Not just the sport but his friends that he had left behind, or rather the friends that had left him behind. He let his thoughts drift back to junior high where his upperclassmen and he had been part of the best tennis team in the country. But people grow and move on, and they went to high school.  
  
But they were all back together, he hoped.  
  
Would the other students still want to be his friends?  
  
These thoughts crammed through his head untill he walked straight into two people.  
  
"Hey, freshman. You aren't allowed in this hall, it's for juniors only." Said a harsh voice.  
  
The 'freshman' looked up. "S-sorry." He said  
  
The two boys he had run into smiled, a gesture that caught him off guard.  
  
The one boy he had run into spoke. "Try and stay on the first floor, all the freshman classes are there."  
  
Still stunned the freshman nodded a quick "Thanks" and went back downstairs. Once among his peers he adopted his usual 'devil-may-care' attitude and went to first period.  
  
~ At lunch the freshman was eating and a shadow was cast over him. He looked up with mild interest and saw one of his best friends towering over him, a best friend he hadn't seen in over a year.  
  
He even gave him a small smile, which, for him, was equivalent to laughing out loud. The skyscraper laughed and sat next to the freshman.  
  
"Hey! Long time no see!" he said  
  
The freshman nodded his acknowledgement and continued to eat.  
  
Just then two more people came in, a slender red-head and a tall quiet boy with brown eyes. The hyper-active red-head caught the freshman in a huge hug.  
  
"Yay! The kid is back!" he cheered as he tightened his grip on his prey. At least untill the brown-eyed boy put his hand on the red-head's shoulder.  
  
"Let him breathe." He said in his gentle voice. "Oops, sorry kiddo!" he released his death grip on the freshman. Immediately the freshman started taking silent breaths.  
  
The tall boy started laughing and clamped and arm around the freshman's shoulders, once again cutting off his air supply. "Glad to see you haven't changed much." He said grinding his knuckles into the freshman's head.  
  
~ When the final school bell rang the freshman ran outside. He would never say it, but he had been anticipating this time all day. His hands were shaking as he changed into a loose shirt and shorts.  
  
'Silly' he chided himself 'They couldn't have changed that much'  
  
He finally reached the courts and he was left with one last thought 'Right?'  
  
He picked up his racket in shaking hands. Here he saw all his old friends. One muscular boy wearing a bandana nodded to him, he nodded back.  
  
He started to walk across the courts and a slight, flaxen haired boy walked over. "Glad to see you back." He whispered and walked on.  
  
With renewed courage the freshman continued to walk across the courts. He stopped abruptly when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked into the eyes of the one he respected most. His piercing blue eyes looked at him from behind glasses.  
  
"Work hard." He said and walked on.  
  
The freshman smiled and finished his walk to the end of the court.  
  
The red-head and brown eyed boys waved to him from their court. The freshman lifted a hand.  
  
In the last court the tall boy was waiting for him.  
  
"Wanna warm up with me?" he asked  
  
The freshman ducked his head to hide his pleasure and said "Sure."  
  
As he tossed the small green sphere into the air a million thought went through his head. But mostly he was thinking one thing.  
  
'Nothing has changed but the school.'  
~ The freshman started to walk home. He was so happy and somewhat relived after his first day of high school. The classes weren't too hard. He made the transaction pretty easily. But best of all, his friends were still his friends, and he was very relieved.  
  
"Oy, kiddo!" he heard a call from behind him and he turned around in time to see his tall friend racing towards him on his bike.  
  
"I'm not much shorter than you now." He pointed out as he finally caught up.  
  
"So? Kiddo is your nick-name and it suits you well."  
  
"Meaning what?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"Nothing...." He said in and all too innocent voice  
  
The freshman snorted disbelievingly.  
  
"By the way." Said the taller youth "I saw you on the courts earlier. You looked pretty happy. I don't think I've ever seen you smile twice in one day, let alone 5 minutes."  
  
The freshman blushed. "I am just happy that no one changed too much."  
  
His friend started laughing. "You were worried about us? That's funny. We were all worried that you weren't the same. We've been talking about it for a few weeks now."  
  
"You were worried about me?"  
  
"Yeah, ironic isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
The two walked in silence. The taller one shifted his grip on the handle bars uncomfortably.  
  
"So, I see that you can still kick my butt, huh?" he said  
  
The freshman smirked. "I can't go easy on you. How would you improve?"  
  
"You didn't need to embarrass me like that."  
  
"Of course I did."  
  
"Nope, not one bit."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You haven't changed, one bit!"  
  
"Is that a good thing or bad thing?"  
  
"I don't know you tell me."  
  
The freshman thought this over.  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
Now it was his friend's turn to look thoughtful.  
  
"I think it's a good thing." He said finally.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Ummmmmm, well. That's one day down and only 93 more to go."  
  
His friend laughed and slung and arm around his shoulders.  
  
"Bring it on!"  
  
~~~~~~~~ Neko Notes: Random ficlet, just wanted to write a one shot for whatever reason. Read and review though I must say that I normally can't write short stories to save my life. 


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